The Wrath of Hades
by Muse of Fanfiction
Summary: Hades is cruel to those who insult him. So when the demigod Pirithous not only dares to proclaim himself as greater than the God of the Dead, but is also determined to steal away his wife, Persephone, and claim her as his own , Hades will show no mercy.
1. Prologue

Theseus, the demigod son of Poseidon, God of the Sea, was resting in a small shack with his best friend, Pirithous, the demigod son of the great Zeus. The fire burning in the hearth kept them warm from the freezing snowy weather outside.

"I am glad that I have chosen the beautiful Helen. I am sure that when the time comes, she would be a beautiful and gentle bride," said Theseus dreamily.

A few days ago, Theseus and Pirithous stole away the thirteen-year-old Helen of Sparta and sent her to stay with Theseus' mother, Aethra, until she has finally reached the right age to marry him.

They had done so because they have pledged to each other that each of them would carry off a daughter of Zeus and claim her as a bride. They had both come to the conclusion that since they were the sons of two great gods, they deserved every right to marry a daughter of the King of the Gods himself. As such, Theseus chose Helen, considering her to be the most priceless daughter.

"I would like to see you find a daughter more valuable than Helen, Pirithous. Unfortunately, there is none left," he mocked.

Pirithous smacked his best friend on his arm.

"Do not forget, Theseus, that I am the son of Zeus! So watch who you're mocking!"

Then suddenly, an evil smile creeps up on his lips.

"Besides, I already have a particular daughter in my mind. And she is, of course, of far more value than your precious Helen!"

Theseus cocks an eyebrow in disbelief. He didn't think that there were any other daughter that was more greater than Helen, and thus refused to believe Pirithous' claim.

"Oh really? Who is it?"

The smile still plastered on his lips, he announces proudly, "None other than the Goddess of Spring herself; Persephone."

Theseus' eyes widen in shock, while Pirithous continues to look at him with the same proud and smug smile.

"Are you mad, Pirithous?" Theseus cries in disbelief. "Have you forgotten that Persephone is already the consort of-"

He did not continue, fearful of saying the name of the fearsome God of the Dead.

Pirithous scoffed. "Of course I have not forgotten, you fool. But that's what makes it even more interesting! It would be like hunting the Calydonian Boar, only this time, I am sure to win the prize!"

Theseus sighs. "What makes you so confident that you'll actually get her?"

Pirithous lets out a laugh.

"Why would I not? Like I said, I am the son of Zeus, king of the Gods. I am particularly a member of the highest order in Olympus itself! Whereas Hades-"

"Don't say his name out loud!" Theseus exclaims in exasperation, not believing that his friend dare mock the name of Hades.

Pirithous ignores him and continues.

"-is the lowest of all the Gods. Look at him, forced to spend eternity in his dreadful Underworld. He must be a useless husband. I pity dear Persephone very much. Which is why I hope to save her from her misery, and give her the joy that Hades fails to offer."

Then, he nonchalantly lies down on his back on the fleece blanket he was sitting on.

"Now let us rest, my dear friend. For tomorrow at dusk, we collect my prize."

Theseus stares at him incredulously and shakes his head in dismay. As he lies down on his fleece blanket, he prays to the gods that Pirithous would have some senses knocked into him, before he suffers from dire consequences.

_Unknown to the both of them, two pair of eyes were watching them from within the depths of the Earth, one now seething in utter rage._


	2. Chapter 1

Hades' rage was frightening.

"'**LOWEST OF ALL GODS,' HE SAYS! 'USELESS HUSBAND,' HE SAYS!**" he shouts in immense fury.

His anger was out of control. He could feel his blood boiling up to several hundred degrees as he threw little pieces of furniture to the walls and the floor, followed by the sounds of wood and ceramics crashing and breaking into tiny pieces.

Never before has a demigod dare to openly insult a true god. And yet this vile creature dares to even consider himself as a member of the highest order in Olympus, just because he has the blood of Zeus in his veins.

Did this disgusting half-breed have even the slightest idea about who he was messing with? Hades is no lowly god. He is one of the original six Olympians who defeated The Titans, a third of the Big Three, and a ruler of his own realm.

Persephone had stood by him as he sat on the high-backed chair in his study, both of them watching the conversation between the two demigods in his see-all mirror. Although she did not express it like Hades, she felt anger boiling inside her as well. How dare Pirithous insult her husband and can still have the nerve to proclaim that he will be a better consort to her.

"**A BASTARD! THAT'S WHAT HE IS! JUST ANOTHER HALF-BREED BASTARD CHILD OF MY BROTHER! AN INSOLENT ONE AT THAT!**"

"I heard that," a new voice proclaimed from the entryway of the study. Hades and Persephone both turned to look at the door, and saw the Almighty Zeus himself leaning against it nonchalantly with his arms crossed.

"I could hear you from my throne room all the way in Olympus. And I know the reason why," Zeus says to his older brother, maintaining a straight face.

Before Persephone could even blink an eye, Hades was standing right in front of Zeus, lifting him off the ground by his white chiton.

"Then do something about it, Zeus," he snarled, glaring at the father of the demigod he so wishes to murder now.

Zeus pries Hades' fingers off his chiton and sets himself steadily down on the floor. Brushing off invisible dust, he looks at him with an eyebrow raised.

"There's another reason why I came here. To tell you that I won't do anything about it."

Hades, who could not believe what he was hearing, felt the anger rising again and immediately raised a fist, aiming it at his younger brother's face.

But before he could even throw it, Persephone grabs him from behind, pulling him back with all the strength she could muster.

"Hades, don't! No violence!" she begs him as he begins to thrash around in her hold.

Hades turns to look at his wife. His anger still growing strong, but at the sight of her pleading eyes, he maintains his composure, for her sake.

Persephone gently kisses the side of his neck to try and calm him down. Hades takes a deep breath as he feels her lips on his skin. After she releases him, he moves calmly to sit in one of the black armchairs in the center of the room, Zeus already seated in another one. Persephone follows her husband dutifully and stands beside him.

"You didn't let me finish, dear brother. What I am about to say will interest you greatly."

Hades scowls at his brother. "And how will it interest me?" he asks scornfully.

Surprisingly, Zeus smiles.

"I will not do anything about it, because I am letting you have the chance to punish him. I have given you my blessing to hurt him as much as you want."

Both Hades and Persephone's eyes widen in shock. Did they really hear that clearly?

Zeus' smile stays as he nods, confirming what they just heard.

"I believe that is what you want, isn't it Hades?" he asks him questionably.

Hades stares at him incredulously, not entirely believing that he was giving him permission to hurt someone, especially his own son.

"What's the catch?" he asks suspiciously.

Zeus laughs and shakes his head. "There is no catch. Besides, I have already gotten my share. It is only fair that you have it too."

Persephone began to feel curious. "What do you mean, Father?" she asked.

Suddenly, resentment flashed in his eyes. He grumbles and mutters, with a hard edge in his tone, "That foul creature that I am ashamed to call my son is no different from his stepfather, Ixion."

Her curiosity did not die down. "Do you mind if you share with me your story?"

Zeus sighs, but nonetheless tells the tale to his beloved daughter.

"Out of pity, I invited Ixion to Olympus to have a feast with the gods. One in his position would have been so thankful. But instead of thanking me, he dares to lust over Hera. After I had found out, I sent a cloud in the form of my queen to him, wondering if he would be ignorant enough to couple with it. Truth be told, he did. And for his foul actions, I gave him the worse punishment I could think of…"

Hades and Persephone watches as the King of Olympus clenches his hands into fists as he remembers those unpleasant memories. When it looks like Zeus would say no more, Hades, who knows the entire story, finishes it for her.

"And even to this day, he is still bound to a fiery wheel in Tartarus. A wheel that will never stop spinning. Not now. Not ever."

Persephone feels a shiver go down her spine as an image of a man pleading for mercy, bound for all eternity to a forever-spinning wheel of fire, appears in her mind.

The sound of Zeus standing up broke her from her train of thoughts.

"Please do whatever you wish, Hades. Put this rare opportunity to good use," Zeus informs him as he turns away.

Slowly, an evil smirk plays on Hades' lips.

"Of course. Thank you very much."

In a blink of an eye, Zeus fades away.

Persephone looks at her husband, who she did not notice have moved back to his study table, holding up the see-all mirror again. She quietly goes to his side and looks into the looking glass. The only image in it was of a sleeping Pirithous.

"He shall pay," he breathes harshly. "For mocking me. For planning to steal you away from me and make you as his own bride."

She sighs and takes away the mirror from his loose fingers. After setting it down on the table, she turns to him and wraps her arms around his neck. Bringing her lips to his right ear, she whispers, "You may plan your revenge for as long as you want, my love. But tonight, you belong to me, and I belong to you. Show me that I am, and forever will be, yours."

When she pulls back to look at his eyes, she sees him gazing intensely at her in lust

"You always know the right words to say," he murmurs.

Then he grabs her waist and holds her tightly to him as he plants a wild and passionate kiss to her lips.


	3. Chapter 2

"Theseus…. Theseus…."

Theseus wakes up groggily. His vision was murky at first, but when it finally stabilized, the first thing he saw was Pirithous, standing over him.

He ignores it and rolls to his side, hoping more sleep would come. Pirithous, who is now tired of waiting, shakes his friend awake again. In annoyance, Theseus hits away his hand.

"What do you want?" he grumbled, fed up that his sleep was interrupted.

Pirithous only smiles.

"It is time for us to go," he says.

* * *

When Persephone woke up, she could feel comforting warmth around her, but no Hades.

She sat up tiredly on the bed and began to look around. Clothes, more specifically hers, were ripped apart near the door, pillows had been thrown on the floor, and the bed itself was a destruction zone.

As she ran a hand through her long dark brown hair, she thought to herself about how wild he was last night. It seems that he had allowed some of his fury to show during their love-making yesterday. Although it was pleasant and full of ecstasy, it was really rough. But fortunately, she wasn't hurt. Hades would never let her get hurt.

She got out of bed and, after putting on a carmine silk robe, picked up the torn clothes and the pillows off the floor before calling for her personal maids to prepare her bath. As they both filled the small pool with warm water and her favourite sea salts, they make small talk with their queen.

"The lord has announced that there would be a special dinner tonight, milady. Please don't mind us, but what is it for?" one of the two maids, Aretha, asked her.

Persephone herself did not know why, until she realized that this may be part of his plan. She cringes at the thought of her half-brother walking into the Underworld, attempting to steal her from her husband.

"I have no clue, Aretha. But I am sure that it is important."

The maids left quickly soon after their task was done. As Persephone washed herself in the pool, breathing in the scent of freesia and feeling the silkiness of the oil from the sea salt on her skin, she thinks to herself, _Oh my darling, Hades. Whatever are you planning now?_

* * *

She walks to the most likely place he would be in; the throne room.

Opening the double mahogany doors and letting herself in, she finds him sitting on his intricately-designed ebony and gold throne with his right elbow on the armrest and his chin propped up on a fist, looking very deep in thought.

His face lights up when he sees her.

"My beautiful queen has awakened," he says, keeping his eyes on her but making no move as she walks towards him.

She blushes. Hades had this effect on her; she would blush at whatever compliment he gave her, even though they have already been married for a long time.

When she was right in front of him, she cups his face in her hands and tilts it up. She leans in and gives him a soft kiss on his lips, which he so eagerly returns.

When she lets go, he continues to gaze at her as she made her way to a similar black and gold throne on his right, this one with a few bits of jewel adorned in it.

"How are you this fine morning?" he asks her politely.

Straightening up her posture, she answers, "I have never felt better. You should really show that wild side during our nights more often."

He flashes a loving smile to her. "Of course I will, my love."

Then Persephone moves on to more pressing matters.

"My maid has told me that you are organizing a dinner tonight. Might I ask, what is the reason?"

His eyes harden after hearing the question. He turns away and mutters, "I can't tell you."

She huffed in annoyance. "Why? What is it that you can't tell me, your wife?"

"I am afraid that you won't approve of what I am planning," he whispers.

"It is about Pirithous, isn't it?"

She saw his hand clench into a trembling fist. Not wanting to make him upset, she places her hand on it, skimming his skin with her thumb.

"Like my father had said, do whatever you wish. I will not stand in your way. That mere half-breed does deserve punishment for saying all those nonsense about you."

A smile emerged on his lips. He grabs the hand that was on his and raises it to his lips.

"You truly are a wretched queen."

She smiles too and answers, "But I cannot compare to my wretched husband. So what is it that you are planning?"

The smile on his lips turned evil.

"You shall wait and see. I will strike him when he least expects it," he mutters darkly.

She raises an eyebrow, but does not ask any further. Instead, she changed topics.

"What is my role in this evil plan of yours?" she inquires.

His smile stays. "Nothing much. You just have to look like your normal beautiful self."

At first she was confused as to why she doesn't have to do anything. Until suddenly, everything began to click.

"I am the bait, aren't I?"

With that evil smile still plastered on his lips, he nods.


	4. Chapter 3

Author's Note:

Sorry for the long wait, you guys. I have been busy with school work and all (if you guys want to know, I'm 15)

Thanks for the good reviews. I appreciate it :)

On a random note, I am beginning to notice that I might have accidentally titled this story because of _Wrath of the Titans_, which totally sucked. But I like the title, so it stays.

Now, on to the story.

* * *

"Are you sure that we are going in the right direction?" Theseus asked unsurely.

Pirithous did not look back at his friend and continued to take even bigger strides through the snowy forest.

"Of course, we are. Now can you stop questioning me?" he snaps.

"How am I supposed to trust that you know the way, Pirithous?" Theseus exclaims.

Finally, Pirithous stops and looks at his friend with a hard edge in his eyes.

"I had a dream that I was standing in front of a cave that was hidden amongst the mountains on the outskirts of the province. Then, I hear my father saying to me, 'My son. Enter the mouth of this cavern. Enter the Underworld, where your future bride awaits your arrival.' Even my father is helping me! And judging by his words, the loving Persephone is waiting for me to rescue her right now! That is why we have no time for rest! Get a move on, Theseus! And to think you slayed the Minotaur!"

After giving a grunt of annoyance, Pirithous continues walking ahead. Theseus stares at him, watching him stomp further away, as he thinks to himself, _This will really not turn out well_.

_In Olympus, Zeus watches their conversation in his own see-all mirror. He smiles, marvelling to himself about the trouble his foolish son was about to run into._

* * *

"You have summoned me, my lord?" Thanatos asks as he bows before his king and queen.

Persephone remains silent, sitting with womanly etiquette on her throne, as she looks from the personification of death to her husband.

Hades sat on his throne with an air of power, his back against the backrest, his elbow on his armrest and his chin propped up on his hand.

"Yes, Thanatos. I want to know how the preparations are going," he asks in his masculine voice.

"It is complete, my lord. The dining room you have requested is set up and the finest dishes have been prepared."

"And our robes?" Hades asks, this time gesturing to Persephone with his other hand.

"It is all prepared in your chambers," Thanatos answers.

Hades smirks. "Well done, Thanatos. You have never failed me."

"Will that be all, my lord?"

"Actually no."

Thanatos finally straightens up and looks at his master.

Hades looks at his wedding ring, a simple but elegantly carved band of silver, on his left ring finger as he says, "Our guests are demigods. They will arrive at the gates soon; two hours at latest. I would like you to personally collect them. And inform Charon that they will not be paying him obols, as I have requested for them."

Before Thanatos could say anything, Hades adds in, "One more thing. When you greet them, inform them that you are sent by Lady Persephone and that it is she who arranged this dinner. Is that clear?"

With no questions asked, Thanatos nods. "Yes, my lord."

"Then you are dismissed."

Thanatos bows once more before leaving the throne room.

"This plan of yours is quite grand, don't you think?" Persephone asks him.

Hades turns his head to look at her with a mischievous smile on his lips.

"But it has to be, my lovely queen. It is so that they will not suspect a thing," he says proudly, reaching a hand out to run his fingers through her hair.

She raises an eyebrow. "Is he really that foolish?"

He begins to laugh to himself.

"Fortunately, yes."

* * *

They were both in the small pool in the bathroom of their chambers, washing themselves up for the 'feast'.

Hades remains quiet as his wife, who stood behind him, massages his tense shoulders gently, and rather seductively.

"Does it hurt, my lord?" she whispers in his ear, her warm breath trickling his skin.

He sighs. "It doesn't. In fact, it is wonderful."

Slowly, she stops rubbing his shoulders and slides her hands down to feel his well-toned chest.

"You are really protective of me, aren't you?" she says into his ear.

He turns and gazes into her amber eyes as he solemnly says, "Yes, I am. You are my wife and my queen. In short, you are mine."

She smiles and cups her hands under the sides of his jaw. Hades wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her to him.

She leans in to press a kiss to his lips. He kisses back gently as she whispers, "He is so foolish to say those words about you. You are not a useless husband. I am pleased to be with you. Only you. I would rather be walking around the Earth all by myself for an eternity than be his bride."

Hades only smiles against her lips.

* * *

Theseus and Pirithous walks into the cave. It was huge and it got darker with each step. Theseus sets fire to a torch he brought and lights up the way.

"This is huge. I did not think a cave like this existed," he marvels as he looks at the certainly high ceiling.

"True. This seems like the perfect entrance to the Underworld," Pirithous added.

As they continued walking for a very long time, the finally found it.

The Gates of the Underworld.

It was tall, nearly reaching the ceiling of the cave. It was made of black steel and was designed intricately. It was a piece of art.

As they both marvelled at it, Theseus suddenly asks, "How do we get in?"

On cue, the gates open towards them. They both jumped in shock and take a few steps back, allowing the gates to open.

After it had stopped moving, the two of them entered the Underworld slowly.

"Be careful," Pirtihous whispers. "We won't know what dangers lurk-"

"Good evening, gentlemen."

They both jumped and shouted in shock. Theseus shines the light in the direction of the voice.

They find a man standing there. He was young, probably in his early-thirties, and had long white hair. He was tall and skinny, had skin that was as pale as a ghost and was dressed in a long grey chiton. He seemed to glow from the light of Theseus' torch.

"Who are you?" Pirithous asks defensively.

Without flinching, the man answers, "I am Thanatos, the personification of death and servant to Lord Hades and Lady Persephone. I have been asked by my lady to personally escort you to the dinner that she is hosting."

Theseus and Pirithous stares at him with wide eyes, and then to each other.

Pirithous could not believe his luck. Not only was Persephone waiting for him, she had even arranged a dinner for his arrival. The gods must truly be on his side.

"Of course," Pirithous says with an air of pride. "Lead the way."

Thanatos nods once and moves deeper into the cave, the two demigods following right behind him.

* * *

Author's Note #2:

If you guys kinda noticed, I envisioned Hades and Persephone and the Underworld similarly to my other story, _Never Again_. I have always envisioned Thanatos to be pale because he is death, after all. Pirithous looks the same like his_ Never Again_ counterpart.

Next chapter will be up soon, I promise.

_Girl in Dreams_


	5. Chapter 4

Persephone marvels at the dining room that Hades had led her to. It had tall dark red walls and a black marble floor. A black chandelier hung from the ceiling right above the round black marble dining table that was placed right in the middle of the room. The table could sit at least four people, and it had plates full of delicious dishes on it.

"I have never been to this dining room before," she informs him.

The dining room was located at the west of the palace, the part she would rarely venture into. Thanatos had said to her once that the west of the palace was where Hades attends to his prisoners, and it slightly frightened her.

"It has been prepared specially for our guests, my darling Persephone," Hades answers, picking up a black olive from a silver bowl and popping it into his mouth.

Silently, she walks to him. He picks up another olive and brings it to her lips. She opens her mouth, letting him feed her.

"You look so beautiful right now," he murmurs, his eyes gazing at her.

As she chews, she looks down at the dress she was wearing; the one Hades had requested to be specially made for her today.

It was flowing and floor-length, made of the finest black silk. Black lace overlay it and a blood red silk sash was tied around her waist. It was a V-neck, only exposing a small of her cleavage. It had loose black lace sleeves that reached her elbows. Wear it together with a pair of black silk slippers and it was perfect.

It was a work of art.

She only smiles. "You look handsome, as always," she says to him after she swallows.

He was dressed in a long black shirt and tight black pants that went with a brown leather belt and equally black boots. His royal black cloak flowed behind him, pinned to his shoulders with golden fibulas. Although simple, he wore it until it looked as though it was the most elegant clothing in the world.

He ran a hand through his short and messy black hair and smiles at the compliment.

Then slowly, Hades grabs hold of one of her hands and leads her to a mirror on the wall. He makes her stand in front of it until her image was centred in the reflection.

Her wavy dark brown hair was done in a half-up, half-down hairstyle. The waves fell on her shoulders elegantly. Her face was powdered carefully so that it still maintained her natural colour. She had soft and smoky, not too dark, black coloring on her eyelids and light rouge coloured her cheeks. Her lips were painted a dark scarlet.

The jewellery she wore was not too flashy. Ruby teardrop earrings and a platinum necklace with an elegantly-cut ruby pendant. On her head was her silver diadem that was adorned with tiny diamonds and yet another elegantly-cut ruby as the centrepiece. It was a piece to symbolise her status as queen of the Underworld. On her wrists, she wore simple silver bracelets. And on her left ring finger was her wedding ring; it was similar to Hades', but it had a single ruby on it.

She knew of her husband's love for rubies. It too was her favorite gem.

"You truly look like the Queen of the Underworld," he whispers from behind her as he wounds his arms around her waist. "Of course, you are. No matter what."

She gives him a loving smile in the mirror, which he returns.

"So beautiful," he whispers as he softly kisses the side of her neck. "Inside and out. It is no wonder I fell in love with you."

She sighs. "Hades, please. Don't distract me. I have to get into character soon."

He gives her a mischievous smile and gently bites her neck, making her gasp.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Persephone pushes herself away from her husband and straightens herself out.

"Enter," she calls out to whoever is at the door.

It was her personal maid, Aretha.

She bows down and announces, "My lord and lady. Thanatos is now arriving with your guests."

Hades smiles and nods. "Good. Aretha, please lead Lady Persephone to them."

Aretha nods and straightens up. Persephone looks at her husband, whose eyes meant trouble.

"Remember what I told you," he reminds her.

Giving him a smile, she nods before leaving with Aretha.

Hades walks over to the chair that had its back to the door and sits down. There, he waits.

* * *

Thanatos stands at the front of the boat, looking ahead, while Charon rows it from the back. The ferryman was slightly unhappy about having to let the two guests ride his boat for free, but he couldn't complain as they were requested by Lord Hades.

Pirithous and Theseus looks at the waters of Styx. It seemed so lifeless. But who knows what creatures dwell on the riverbed.

Theseus still does not believe that the queen had personally set up this dinner for them. It was too good to be true.

"Pirithous. I still don't think this is a good idea," he whispers to his friend.

Pirithous merely brushes it off. "Nonsense. The queen is expecting us. We must not refuse her invitation."

The truth is, Pirithous was really excited. He couldn't wait to see his new bride and, if she was willing to, discuss with her about how she was going to escape.

He was now daydreaming about the life he would have with her when suddenly, Thanatos announces, "We have arrived."

The two demigods' heads quickly snaps ahead. As the fog around them slowly dissolved, a building came into view.

It was huge! It was so huge that even the Parthenon of Athena could not be compared to it. And in contrast to the dark world it is in, the stones used were a lightish grey, giving a bit of colour.

Charon slowly docks alongside the banks of the river. Thanatos gets out of the boat and onto the land. Pirithous follows soon after, and then a hesitant Theseus does the same.

They followed Thanatos into the palace and found themselves in what could be the foyer, though it could have been a grand hall.

There were two ladies waiting in the middle of the huge room.

And Pirithous could not keep his eyes off the woman who could only be Persephone.


	6. Chapter 5

"Welcome! I have been waiting for the both of you!" Persephone greets with open arms gleefully.

She walks towards the awe-struck demigods gracefully with a big smile on her face, as her husband's voice spoke to her in her head.

_That's right, my love. Look happy._

Pirithous, wanting to make a good first impression, steps forward with an equally big smile, while Theseus watches anxiously from behind him.

Persephone ever so gracefully gives her right hand to him, and he grasps it gently with his bulky and sinewy hand and places a soft kiss on her knuckles. She tried to look flattered by the gesture, but in truth, she hated the feeling of his lips on her soft skin. It seemed rough like scratchy wool, unlike her husband's whose lips were as soft as the silk she wore.

When Pirithous finally let go, she quickly withdrew her hand to her back and discreetly brushes off the feeling of his lips on her knuckles with the other hand. She did not want to rub it on her dress because she did not want the foul essence of him to taint the beautiful piece Hades presented her.

"I hope your trip was not too tiring," she says to them politely.

Pirithous shakes his head. "Of course not, your grace. We are trained since young to withstand even the most difficult of journeys," he says proudly.

She gives another smile as she marvels, "The both of you are certainly very brave and daring to travel to the Underworld for me."

And she thinks to herself, _And are also very foolish to think Hades would let you leave this place with me so easily_.

A rosy colour blooms on Pirithous' cheeks. "It is certainly an honour to hear that, your grace."

She gives him a beautiful smile before she turns to Thanatos, who stood beside Theseus silently. She tells him that he is now dismissed and he bows to his queen before walking away to the east of the palace.

Just then, her eyes finally look over to Pirithous' friend.

She knew who Theseus was. He was her half-cousin, son of Poseidon. He was the well-known Athenian hero who slayed the fearsome beast known as the Minotaur in the famous Labyrinth. He was the talk of the council of Olympus for many months when she was back in the world above.

It was then she noticed how anxious and afraid he looked. How he examined the foyer with suspicion clear in his eyes.

And then he looks at her, the suspicion getting stronger in his emerald pupils.

She looks away from him. In her thoughts, she says, _Poor soul. If only you were able to convince your stupid friend._

_Persephone_, Hades' voice appears in her mind,_ Focus_.

Regaining her happy façade, she turns to look at Pirithous, who still had the eager smile on his lips.

"Come. Let us begin our dinner," she announces with an air of grace.

_Darling, try to look…. seductive._

At his words, she turns and looks back at Pirithous with half-lidded eyes. Daring herself, she lifts a finger and crooks it, beckoning him to follow her.

Pirithous' eyes suddenly widen in excitement, joy and, for obvious reasons, _lust_.

As she begins to walk to the dining room in the west of the palace, Aretha following faithfully beside her, she makes sure that her hips swayed gently and seductively. She looks behind to see if he saw it. And true enough, he did. In fact, he was ogling over it.

She felt disgusted.

_Patience. It will all be over soon._ Hades assures her.

She willed herself to be strong, for her husband.

* * *

Pirithous really could not believe it.

Here was Queen Persephone, the woman he had intended to abduct, giving him flirtatious looks as she walks ahead of him. She also pouted her lips and twirled her wavy dark brown locks seductively as her gorgeous eyes met his.

She made small talk with him as though he was the most interesting person in the world, and had even commented about how big and strong his muscles were.

Theseus kept on trying to convince that this was in no way a good idea, but Pirithous merely brushes it off. His best friend was starting to annoy him. This was not a bad idea. Persephone is clearly showing interest in him. To add to that, his father had told him that she was waiting for him. How could this be a bad idea?

Suddenly, after a few long minutes of walking, they stop in front of two majestic rosewood double doors. The servant girl beside Persephone moves ahead and opens it for them. Persephone thanks her graciously and informs her that she is no longer required.

The queen walks inside, her eyes looking at Pirithous again with the same lusty look. He found himself smiling again, a private smile. A smile for her.

When the three of them were inside, the servant girl closes the doors from the hallway.

Pirithous looks around at the magnificent dining room. He catches a glimpse of the table and sees many platters of mouth-watering foods.

He looks at Theseus again, who still had the same anxious look. Yet again, he ignores it and turns back to look at his future bride.

She was standing behind the chair that had its back faced to them. Then, she says, "My darling, we have guests."

A head appears and looks at them. At the same time, Theseus and Pirithous' hearts both skip a beat in unison.


	7. Chapter 6

Persephone watches as her husband stands from the chair with grace that only he has. He gives one of his trademark half-smiles to the guests and spreads his arms wide.

"Welcome. It certainly is a pleasure to have guests. It's been a long time since anyone has visited the Underworld," he greets them warmly.

She looks from her devilishly handsome husband to the demigods, who stared at him with fear in uncertainty.

"Come. Let us not waste any more time," he says. He looks at Persephone and gestures to them. She then ushers them to their seats. Theseus was assigned to the seat across from her whilst Pirithous was given the seat beside her.

_Persephone, try to make him excited a bit._

On instinct, she 'accidentally' brushes a hand on Pirithous' arm. He looks at her in surprise, and she returns it with another of her fake, lusty, 'Aphrodite' look.

Hades does not sit down as of yet. Instead, he pulls out Persephone's seat for her like the gentleman he was. Giving him a smile she only used for him, she thanks him and settles herself as he pushes her chair in. He returns to his seat and casts a quick glance to Pirithous.

He could tell that he was confused. Confused as to why Persephone was giving him all these flirtatious looks and gestures while she still regards him, her husband, with respect. But Hades could also tell that he has not seen through the mask yet.

Theseus was a different case. He eyes the food and the room warily. He casts quick nervous glances to Pirithous, who notices but takes no heed of. Hades notices that he casts quick glances at his queen in suspicion, but is trying so hard to not make eye contact with the God of the Dead.

Wanting to break the awkward silence, Hades picks up his goblet of the finest wine on Earth, which he picked specially for his 'guests', and raises it in the air.

"I propose a toast to these two brave visitors who are ever so willing to journey to the Underworld, a feat which most mortals, and even demigods, do not dare accomplish."

Persephone picks up her goblet as well and raises it in the air, flashing a lovely smile to her husband. Pirithous follows suit, and Persephone turns to smile at him seemingly discreetly, as though she did not want Hades to see it. Theseus picks up his goblet and slowly raises it in the air, not taking his eyes off the empty silver plate in front of him.

All of them sipped their wines in unison and set their goblets down together.

"So, Pirithous. How is your father lately?" Hades asks him in the manner of an elder speaking to a youth. Though this is quite true in terms of their actual age, Hades looks no more than a few years older than him.

Pirithous only gives him a pleasant smile. "I can't say that I know of his current status, but I am sure he is doing quite well. He is the King of the Gods after all."

Persephone could detect how Pirithous sneered the last part and looks over to Hades worriedly. Although he kept a calm composure, she could sense the anger boiling inside him. Underneath the table, she reaches for the hand that rested on his knee. True enough, it was now a tightly-clenched fist. At the contact their skins made, he slowly relaxes and grasps her fingers.

She watches as Hades gives him a polite smile. He lets go of her hand underneath the table and brings it up to reach for his knife and fork. As he cuts off a piece of roasted pheasant, he diverts his attentions to Theseus.

"And how about you, Theseus? You have been the talk of the Olympian council ever since you slayed the mighty Minotaur. Such a brave act! Your father could not stop voicing his praises for a long time."

Despite his worry, Theseus forces himself to smile.

"It's good to hear that. I haven't heard from my father in a while, but I know that he must be in good health," he answers.

Hades puts the cut-off piece of pheasant onto Persephone's plate, which she thanks him for. He then cuts off another piece and puts it on his own plate.

"I bet he is," Hades answers and takes a bite of his pheasant. It was then the two demigods finally took bits of each dish and filled their plates with it.

Taking a sip from her goblet, Persephone looks at Hades, who returns her a look of mischief.

* * *

They were both dead drunk.

Pirithous sat there giggling nonsensically and hiccupping while Theseus only smiled goofily, staring blankly at the wall behind Persephone.

The King and Queen watched them; Hades with his arms crossed and relaxing against his chair with a smile on his face as Persephone silently ate a tiny silver bowl of dark sweet grapes, occasionally feeding some to her husband.

It had been easy for him to get the two demigods as intoxicated as Dionysus. Pirithous could not refuse as it was Persephone who served him the wine, while Theseus couldn't refuse because he was afraid of what Hades might do if he did.

Hades leans forward, resting his elbows on the black marble table, which was now clear of plates, and asks Pirithous with all seriousness in his voice, "So what really brings you here, Pirithous?"

Pirithous' intoxicated eyes rolled over to look at him lazily. With a drunk smile on his lips, he answers, "We are only here to take Perseph-_hic!_-one away! Aren't we, Theseus?"

His best friend only nods his head stupidly.

"For what, might I ask?" Hades asked. Persephone could easily hear the anger that was fuming from deep within his tone.

Pirithous lets out a throaty laugh. Theseus does the same for no reasons whatsoever.

"To make her my wife!" he exclaims. "I thought that you were a horrible husband towards her, so I am going to save her!"

Then he reaches out to Persephone and strokes her cheek. "Isn't that right, lovely Persephone?"

With disgust overwhelming her, she slaps his hand away.

The way he touched her finally ticked the God of the Dead off.

Everything became silent as Hades glares at the drunken Pirithous. Persephone watches her husband with wary eyes.

"I think I have entertained the both of you long enough," Hades murmurs darkly.

He raises his right hand and snaps his fingers.

And suddenly, both of the demigods were bound to their chairs.


	8. Chapter 7

Hey guys!

I'm sooooooooooooooooooooo sorry for not updating. There are two reasons.

1. My exams has just begun

2. It is seriously difficult to write a punishment scene. You need to think about every little detail before you write it out.

So I feel terrible. And to make it up to you guys; **DOUBLE CHAPTER UPDATES! :D**

Anyway, big shout out to **madame thome** for reviewing every chapter. I just love to read your comments :) of course, thanks to every one of you guys who took the time to read this too! your reviews are like my elixir :)

So, without further ado, Chapter 7

***WARNING* This chapter may be quite violent to some of you. So please don't be harsh on me. I think it was pretty good.**

* * *

Black rock formations appeared on the armrests and the legs of the chairs they were sitting on, trapping their arms and their legs.

Pirithous and Theseus looks at each other in panic. Both tried to wriggle their limbs out of the rocks, but found that they couldn't even move them.

They both heard a menacing laugh and look over to Hades, who stood from his chair. He had an evil smile and his fathomless black eyes looked demonic. His entirely black clothes made him looked more menacing as he approached the both of them.

"Did you really think I was that much of a fool?" he sneered, walking past Theseus' chair to Pirithous. "Did you really think I don't know your true intentions, you half-breed? Your true, sick, vile intentions?"

Pirithous, even though still quite drunk, looks at the dark king, trembling with fear. Theseus too trembles as he watches the God of the Dead loom over his friend.

Hades brings his face closer to Pirithous' menacingly as he seethes, "And did you think I have not heard the words you spoke about me?"

And just a second later, his drives his fist into the demigod's stomach.

Both Persephone, who had been sitting on her chair silently, and Theseus wince at the sound of Pirithous' shout of pain. It was like a jolt in the heart; sudden but quick.

Pirithous' eyes tear up and the sudden pain in his gut. He looks up at Hades, who hits him on the temple with the back of his hand, hard.

"**Lowest of all gods, huh!**"

Another hit to the face.

"**Useless husband!**"

A punch to the chest.

Hades spends the next few minutes beating him mercilessly. Persephone and Theseus don't dare watch the ordeal happen. All they could do was just listen to Pirithous' cries of pain and Hades' long string of cusses and obscenities.

Theseus wishes he could just run away right now. He knew that coming here was a bad idea after all. He wondered why he didn't just tell Pirithous that he wished to take no part in this. But what's done is done; they are here in the Underworld and have unleashed the fearsome wrath of Hades.

Persephone herself could not imagine how brutal her husband could be. She had been told by her family in Olympus that Hades could be extremely vicious when crossed, but never had she thought she would see it for herself.

Hades stops punching him and looks at what he has done. Bruises were forming on all the places he had hit with great force. Pirithous had attained a black eye and blood was streaming down his nostrils and mouth.

But Hades does not stop the torment.

He grabs a handful of Pirithous' long chestnut brown hair, forcing him to look at him.

"Did you really think Persephone would accept you as a consort? If you are still so ignorant of the fact, **she is mine!**" Hades shouted furiously.

Then there was a sudden change of events.

"**Do not scream at me, dreadful God of the Dead!**" Pirithous shouted. "I am the son of Zeus! In simple words, I am of much more value than you will ever be!"

Suddenly, the loud sound of a chair being dragged quickly filled the room.

All three men look to the source of the sound; Persephone had shot up from her seat, her eyes burning with rage.

She goes to the other side of Pirithous with a fierce scowl on her lips. When she was mere inches from him, she draws her right hand back and brings it down on his face with lightning speed.

The sound of her slap was really loud.

But not as loud as her scream.

"**DO NOT EVER SAY THAT ABOUT MY HUSBAND! AND DO NOT ASSUME THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE BLOOD OF MY FATHER, IT MEANS THAT YOU ARE OF A HIGHER RANK THAN HIM! YOU WORTHLESS CREATURE!**"

"Well said, my daughter."

All heads turned to the new voice that spoke at the door. Persephone gasped silently when she sees her father standing there, his presence radiating the room.

"Father?" both Persephone and Pirithous breathe at the same time.

Zeus says nothing, only moves forwards and takes a seat in Hades' chair.

"I was watching all of this back at Mount Olympus, and I decided that I should make an appearance personally," he clarifies.

"Thank Mother Gaia you're here, Father! Maybe you can persuade your insolent brother to let me go!" Pirithous exclaims.

Hades hits him on the side of his face once again.

"Father! Are you not going to do anything?" Pirithous questions unbelievably as he tried to stand the new throbbing pain.

Zeus simply answers, "No."

The demigod's eyes widen in shock. "Why not?" he demands to know.

Zeus lies back against the chair and rests his elbows on the armrests.

"It's because you tried to abduct a goddess. Not just some goddess, but the Queen of the Underworld herself. And you are fully aware that she is already wedded."

He then leans forward a bit, looking at the demigod in disdain.

"I do not accept a child who has such behaviour. And to think you considered yourself as greater than one of the three lords of this realm. That is so despicable."

A moment of silence. No one made a move to say anything. Everyone looked at each other, except Theseus who looked down at his lap; Hades and Pirithous at Zeus, Zeus at Pirithous, Persephone looking back-and-forth at her husband and father.

Then, it was Zeus who breaks the silence.

"I allow Hades to punish you in whatever way he likes."

And then, Pirithous starts screaming. He cursed and cursed until his words all sounded like one blur.

"This is absurd! You can't do that!" he finally screams clearly.

Zeus shoots up from his seat and bangs his fists on the table. The sound vibrated throughout the room and the table shook under the mighty god's fists.

"**I can! And I will!**"

Hades gives an evil smile before punching Pirithous' chest, causing him to shut up.

"Theseus," Zeus says to the silent demigod. Theseus looks up at him wearily.

"I cannot have you released, as that would be in the decision of Hades. But as punishment for assisting this animal in his plans, I had Helen of Sparta rescued by her brothers. In addition, they have also kidnapped your mother, who has willingly agreed to be Helen's maid."

Theseus couldn't stop himself from breaking into tears. He had high hopes that one day he would have a good life with Helen and his mother. But now, because of this, they were both taken away from him. Gone. Snatched without another chance.

Persephone, unable to bear the sight of him crying, suddenly excuses herself out of the whole fiasco and leaves the room in a rush. Thankfully, she had just exited the dining room when the tears began to flow.

Hades followed after his wife, worried about what was bothering her. He leaves Zeus alone with the two prisoners.

Zeus does nothing but rub Theseus' shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. His nephew does not object, being too caught up with his emotions.

Zeus notices the glare Pirithous gave him.

"I hate you," Pirithous seethes in anger. "I hate it right now to know that your blood flows in my veins."

Zeus rolls his eyes at the pathetic speech. Deciding that he is no longer needed, he steps away from Theseus and looks at his now-disowned son.

"Just like your stepfather," he breathes as he suddenly fades away.

* * *

Hades had tried to persuade Persephone to tell him what's wrong, but she refused. Not wanting matters to get worse, he lets it slide and starts to comfort her.

They both shed their finery off of their bodies before stepping in the small pool together. They relax in each other's arms as they stay in the water. And when they were done, they both went straight to bed, locked in a loving embrace.

In the dining room, Pirithous and Theseus did not speak a word to each other. Pirithous looks blankly at the door, trying to ignore the pain in every part of his body, while Theseus looks down at his lap with swollen red eyes. Their silence was eerie.

Then a small voice breaks it all.

"I hate you," Theseus mutters.

"Shut up, Theseus," Pirithous snaps.

"If I had not followed you, I wouldn't have lost Helen and my mother."

"I said shut up, Theseus."

"You deserved this…"

Pirithous finally loses it.

"**GODS, THESEUS! SHUT UP! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANOTHER WORD COMING FROM YOUR USELESS MOUTH!**"

And he did.

The room fell silent once more.


	9. Chapter 8

***WARNING* This chapter has a quite raunchy scene. If you don't want to read it, I suggest you just skip it.**

* * *

**_Three days later_**

"My love, I really do not think this is a good idea," Hades says to Persephone firmly.

She stands in front of her husband's table in his private study, her arms crossed and her posture firm and demanding. He was sitting on his wine red velvet high-backed chair, in the middle of signing some scrolls when she came in and told him her decision.

"Why shouldn't I, Hades? He has done no wrong," she reminded him.

Persephone had asked if she could go to the dining room where Pirithous and Theseus were being held. The reason being she wanted to bring food to Theseus. She pitied her half-cousin. He did not actually do anything to directly anger Hades. She did not find it fair that he has to suffer the same punishment as Pirithous. She decided that the least she could do was to give him good food instead of stale bread and rotten fruit.

"He followed the vile scum who tried to steal you from me, Persephone," he seethes through his teeth. "That is punishable enough."

Frustratingly, she moves to his side, a plan hatching in her mind. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

She slowly sits on his lap, facing him. She grabs hold of his shoulders to maintain her balance. Hade looks at her with the anger still in his eyes, but Persephone had managed to capture a glimpse of the lust burning deep inside him.

She leans in and begins to kiss his neck, whispering, "I feel guilty, Hades. He is innocent. He knew it was a bad idea to come here, but that idiot did not listen. He tried to tell him that it was a bad idea to kidnap me, but he paid no heed. He has done nothing to directly incur your wrath."

He cranes his neck heavenwards as he groans in pleasure, not focusing on what she was saying; only concentrating on the feel of her lips on his skin.

Seeing that her plan might work, she continues by bringing her kisses to his cheek.

"It's just for him, my love. I won't bother about that disgusting creature," she whispers.

Then he sighs heavily. "You vixen. You knew that I'll agree if you did this, didn't you?"

She pulls away slightly to look at him happily. "Thank you for your understanding," she says before planting a soft kiss on his lips.

She was about to get off his lap when suddenly, he stands up, carrying her, and laid her down on his study table.

She yelped in shock as he went on top of her and gripped her wrists gently. His face hovered above hers and she could feel his cool breath washing over her face as she stares into his hungry eyes.

"But of course, there is a condition," he murmurs.

"Which is?" Persephone asks in a quizzical tone, although she already knew what he wanted.

He licks his lips before he says firmly, yet seductively, "I want you to fully succumb to me tonight."

A smile forms on her lips. She kisses him again, their kiss desperate this time, and she whispers, "Take me."

And the next thing she knew, they both appeared on their bed in their chambers, tearing each other's clothes off.

* * *

As she steps out of their bathroom, still wet from her quick bath with a towel wrapped around her, she looks over to the bed.

Her husband was still asleep, the maroon silk sheet wrapped around his lean waist, exposing his well-toned and lean chest. He fell into a deep slumber after their very intense love-making, probably tired from working all day.

Persephone could not help but marvel at how beautiful he looked. In his sleep, he looked so peaceful, calm and serene. His beauty seemed to glow in contrast of the dark tones of their chambers. Even Adonis' good looks seemed average compared to his.

She softly tip-toed to her wardrobe and pulled out an emerald green chiton. She dries herself completely with the towel before she puts the dress on and brushes her wavy hair in front of the mirror of her dressing table, arranging it so that it framed her face perfectly.

Before she left the room, she went to her husband's side and gives him a gentle kiss to his temple. He mumbles something unintelligent when she lets go, and she quietly giggles to herself.

Persephone exited the room quietly, slowly shutting the door before she walked through the candle-lit hallways to the floor below. There, she made her way to quarters of her personal maids.

There was one level in the palace that houses the servants. There would be about ten of them sleeping in one room. But if they were the special servants of Hades or Persephone, they received their own small chambers.

Persephone walks past the door until she finally came to the one she was looking for. She knocked the door three times before it opened to reveal Aretha.

The maid looked surprised to see her queen standing there and immediately bowed.

"My lady. You know you need not come all the way here to summon me."

Persephone softly shakes her head as she smiles at her young maid. "It is alright, Aretha. You do not have to worry so much about it."

Aretha stands and nods her head. "What may I do for you, my lady?"

"Are there any food left from dinner?" Persephone asked.

Aretha thinks about it for a few seconds before answering, "I believe we do have some left."

Persephone smiles. "Good. May you follow me to get some for our guest?"

The maid looks at her queen in confusion. "Guest?" she asked.

"The ones that came three days ago."

Aretha's eyes widen in shock. "The king's prisoners?" she asked in disbelief.

Persephone gives a firm nod. "Only the one called Pirithous is the prisoner. The other one, Theseus is his name, has wrongfully been given the same punishment. But the king is not convinced to release him. Therefore I am trying to make things slightly better for the poor man."

Aretha eyes her queen questionably before finally agreeing to do it. Together, they both made their way to the kitchen, where they filled a silver tray with a plate of stewed lamb and white rice, a bowl of sliced apples and a cup of water.

They walked through the hallways of the west of the palace until they finally reached the dining room which holds Pirithous and Theseus captive. Persephone opens the doors and enters first as Aretha follows behind her.


	10. Chapter 9

Pirithous looks up at whoever had just entered the room, and immediately made eye contact with Persephone.

His still-foul mood turned worse.

"You…" he snarled.

Persephone simply ignores him and instead focuses her attentions on Theseus.

His head was drooping, his arms and legs were limp and his body was slack. The pang of guilt hit her again, and she was nearly on the verge of tears at the sight of him, but she told herself to remain strong. To not let Pirithous enjoy the sight of her crying.

"Theseus?" she says when she stands right beside him.

He looks up at her and she could finally see how bloodshot his eyes were. His lips were pulled down from not smiling. In general, he just looked tired. So tired.

His bloodshot eyes held no resentment at the sight of her. They just remain blank.

"I have brought you food," she says again. Then she asks Aretha to pull out a chair for her. The maid sets the tray down and grabs a chair to bring to the queen before moving to the side of the door to stand in waiting.

Persephone took her seat beside Theseus, whose eyes never left her once.

She brings the tray on the table closer to her and takes the cup of water. Bringing it to his lips, she tips the cup so that the water flowed into Theseus' mouth. He drank desperately and Persephone does not take away the cup until all the water inside it was gone.

Theseus breathes deeply, relinquishing in the exquisite taste of pure water, something he has been deprived off for three days. His chapped lips were once again moist and the dryness in his mouth had disappeared.

"Thank you, good queen," he thanks graciously with a smile. Persephone returns the smile and sets the cup down before grabbing the plate of lamb stew and rice. Using a spoon, she cuts up the meat of the lamb and mixes the stew with the rice. She scoops up some stewed rice and a piece of meat and brings it to his lips.

He opens his mouth, allowing her to feed him. He was confused as to why the queen of the Underworld would actually take the time to feed him. But whatever it is, he was grateful.

He chewed the delicious food happily as Persephone watches. She was glad that Hades had given her permission to do this. She was glad that she could make Theseus smile.

"So there's good food for the weakling, but none for me?" a rude voice suddenly asks.

Persephone shoots a glare at Pirithous. "Silence, you pig," she simply says

He continues voicing out rude comments under his breath, but Persephone turns a deaf ear to them as she continues to feed Theseus.

He ate slowly, relishing the taste of the delicious lamb stew and the fragrant rice. He gives the queen a smile each time she feeds him one more spoonful, to which she returns.

When the food was finally gone, Theseus sighed in content. Persephone sets the plate down and grabs the bowl of apple slices.

"Your grace, surely you have not brought me more food?" Theseus asks in shock.

"I did, my cousin. It is the least I could do for you," she replies as she feeds him one slice of apple.

The sweetness of the ripe red apple was heavenly. The meal was heavenly. But Theseus was still curious as to why she would do that.

"What is the reason for this, your grace? I have been punished alongside _him_," he gestures to Pirithous, who was glaring at them, "but yet I am receiving this treatment from you. Why?"

Persephone sighs and sets the bowl down after feeding him another slice. As he chews, she speaks.

"I know you have done no wrong, Theseus. My husband and I have watched the both of you ever since the night that _being _you call your best friend stated that he wanted me as a bride. It was he who was behind everything. You merely followed him because you stayed true to the oath you have sworn with him."

Theseus mind suddenly flashes back to the day they made the oath.

* * *

"I was just thinking about something," Pirithous says, lying down on the ground under the olive tree.

"And what would that be?" Theseus asks, looking at him.

Pirithous sits up and looks ahead into the distance. Theseus says nothing, just waiting for him to give his answer. He realizes that this would be one of the rare moments where his best friend would be serious, instead of his usual crude and cocky self.

"Have you felt that maybe it's time that both of us settle down? And with a woman of our choosing?" Pirithous asks, not looking at him.

Theseus thought about it. He has been thinking about it sometimes. Sometimes he would just brush it off as random thought, while other times he found himself thinking seriously about it.

"Maybe," he answers. "What do you ask?"

Pirithous takes a deep breath and then asks, "Since we are the sons of gods, me being of Zeus and you being of Poseidon, I think it is only fair that we wed the daughters of my father."

Theseus thinks about it. They were only demigods, but still have the blood of a god nonetheless. And maybe Pirithous is right.

"Sounds interesting. What do you have in mind?"

Pirithous finally looks at him and says solemnly, "I suggest that we each take a daughter of Zeus as our bride. I am sure my father does not mind, considering his own unusual trysts."

Theseus remains in thought for a few more seconds before finally, he agrees.

Pirithous smiles and then looks up at the sky, "Then we should swear an oath, that we execute this. And I swear that I will follow you to get the one of your choosing if in turn, you do the same for me."

Theseus looks at him and nods his head.

"I swear as well to do the same."

* * *

Tears streamed down his face. If only he had never agreed to that oath. Now he had lost his mother, the bride he wanted and his freedom.

Persephone rubbed his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. She didn't like to see anyone cry because it would make her cry herself.

"See how weak you are, Theseus," Pirithous suddenly says. "Those tears show the weakling you really are! Slayer of the Minotaur? King of Athens? All of that hides your true character! A weakling!"

Persephone snapped.

She stood up from her chair abruptly and stomped towards him. Then, like what had happened in the same room three nights ago, she slapped him with all the force she could muster.

The slap was tight and hard.

Pirithous remains silent as the queen of the Underworld shouts at him.

"**Don't you dare call him that! He is not a weakling!**" was all she could say. Nothing could describe the anger she felt towards him. A lot of profanities suddenly started spewing from her lips.

Aretha, who stood silently by the door, suddenly dashes to her queen's side, pulling her back. But Persephone was quick enough to give another slap to Pirithous' face.

"I'm glad that you were stupid enough to come here, you ass! Stupid enough to fall into my husband's trap!"

Then Persephone stomps out of the room in rage. Aretha hastily carries the tray of empty utensils and the still half-full bowl of apple slices before she exits herself. She silently shuts the door expertly, one hold holding the tray with the utensils and the bowl of apples, and turns to see the queen burying her face in her hands.

"My lady?" Aretha says gently and worriedly. Persephone looks at her, her eyes bloodshot from angry tears. But nonetheless, she smiles at her maid.

"I'll be alright, Aretha. Do not worry."

Aretha nods gently and, daringly, pats her queen's back. Persephone gives her another smile and thanks her for the gesture.

"Aretha, please send the utensils back to the kitchen. And I request that you tell the cooks that they are to set aside some of the food they cook for Theseus. The scoundrel, however, will continue to consume rotten food. Is that clear?"

Aretha nods her head and excuses herself before she makes her way to the kitchen. Persephone walks out of the west side of the palace to the foyer before climbing up the stairs to her and Hades' floor.

But just as she climbed the last step, she heard shouting coming from her husband's study.

She hurried there and went inside hastily. What she saw surprised her.

Hades was seated in his chair, with Zeus and Poseidon standing before him.


	11. Chapter 10

"Hades?"

Hades' head immediately looks over to her, finally noticing her presence. Zeus and Poseidon turn as well, and Persephone was quick to catch the frown on her uncle's face.

"Father? Uncle Poseidon?"

"Dear Persephone. I did not think that you would be up," her father greets with a warm smile on his lips.

She does not return the greeting, instead she asked, "What's going on here?"

Poseidon was the one to answer her. In a very loud and very angry voice.

"I was just telling your husband here that I want my son to be freed at once!" Poseidon shouts, pointing an accusing finger at Hades. "You have no right to just imprison him as you please!"

Hades does not seem affected by the way his brother was shouting at him. Instead, he just sat there nonchalantly, laid back with his arms crossed. His head cocked to the side as he looks at his brother with an eyebrow raised.

"Au contraire, my dear brother. This is my kingdom. And I do whatever I please. I do not disrupt your oceans, so I suggest that you do not disrupt my Underworld."

Poseidon was taken aback by what Hades tells him and looks over at Zeus, expecting him to back him up.

Unfortunately, Zeus was not going to say what he wanted to hear.

"I am afraid that it is true, Poseidon. This is his land, and we must respect it nonetheless."

Persephone, who stood at the door and silently watched everything, cringes when Poseidon begins shouting again, this time his volume was louder.

"But you are the King of the Gods, Zeus! Surely you can do something!"

Zeus stays silent and shakes his head.

"I am sorry, but I have given Hades permission to punish Pirithous. And because of the oath that Pirithous and Theseus swore, Theseus is bound to the punishment as well."

The God of the Seas says nothing. He glares at Zeus, and then at Hades, and then to the floor. Just when everything finally fell still, Poseidon breaks it by screaming in frustration.

Persephone became afraid and ran to her husband's side out of panic. Hades quickly stood from his chair and wrapped his arms around her, stroking her hair in an attempt to calm her.

Poseidon's screams comes to a halt and he moves to sit in one of the black armchairs, where he begins to rub his left temple vigorously. Zeus follows him and takes a seat in another chair before beckoning Hades to sit in the empty one. Hades looks at Persephone unsurely, but she too instructs him to take the seat, to which he does.

Neither of them said anything for a long time. Until finally, Poseidon does once again.

"My son has done no wrong, hasn't he? Why is it that just because he swore an oath with that Rithous, or whatever his name is, he must be condemned to the same horrible fate? He does not deserve your punishment, Hades."

"But he is not receiving any punishment at all," Persephone speaks up suddenly.

The Big Three all look at her. Poseidon's eyes widen at her statement.

"What do you mean, young Persephone?" he asks her.

She takes a deep breath and answers, "I have seen his attempts to convince Pirithous that coming here was not a wise decision. But he followed nonetheless because he stayed true to his word on the oath. They had a strong friendship, the both of them. But unfortunately, Pirithous' stupidity led to this situation."

She looks at all three of them, waiting for any to say something. Her father does, saying, "Go on."

"I took pity on him, and convinced Hades to let him be free of punishments. But I could do nothing about the chair he is bound to by rocks, as it already had delved deep into his skin. Nevertheless, I have ensured that he be fed a morsel of the food that Hades and I eat, and it is I who fed him personally."

Poseidon looks down, looking very deep in thought. Zeus reaches an arm out for his brother, but withdrew it when Poseidon straightens up again and looks at Hades.

"What she is saying; is it true, Hades?"

He nods, and then adds, "It is true. My queen has no ability of lying."

She shoots a glare of mock anger at her husband, which he returns with a mischievous smile.

Poseidon sighs, but says nothing. Zeus looks from him to Hades, asking, "Is there really nothing that can convince you to free Theseus? I mean, what good is he to you if you just allow him to sit on that chair forever alongside that useless creature?"

Hades thinks about it. Yes, he did think it was fair for Theseus to be trapped for aiding Pirithous in his plans. But yet, what Zeus, and also Persephone, had said was also correct. Theseus had done no wrong to him, and he would of course be of no use if he were to stay in the Underworld forever.

He thinks of a decision, a seemingly impossible one. Hades is not one to easily give in, and he finally comes up with the perfect solution.

"I have decided that Theseus can only be freed by another son of Zeus," he says nonchalantly.

Zeus, Poseidon and Persephone's eyes all widen in shock at his statement.

"What do you mean by that?" Poseidon asks in disbelief.

Hades clears his throat and says, "If any other son of Zeus comes along to my kingdom for whatever reason, and sees Theseus and is willing to take him back to the world above, then he shall be free from his bounds."

Poseidon eyes him suspiciously, not entirely believing his statement.

Hades then adds, "I swear upon the river Styx."

At those words, everyone knew that what he said was true. Swearing upon Styx was sacred, and if anyone were to break a promise they swore upon the river, they would be punished horribly.

Poseidon sighs and stands from his seat, Zeus following suit as well.

"Alright," Poseidon says, "You have my trust, brother. But let me warn you that if you were to ever break your promise and still hold my son captive, I will personally send a disastrous flood to your Underworld until nothing is left. Is that clear?"

Hades simply nods.

Then Poseidon turns to Persephone and walks closer to her. She stays where she is and remains still as he grasps her left hand gently and lifts it to his lips, planting a kiss on her knuckles. It was nothing intimate, just a sign of gratitude.

"Thank you, kind Persephone, for taking care of him. You truly have a heart of gold," he says to her with a smile, to which she returns.

Poseidon then turns and nods to Zeus, who then bade Hades and Persephone farewell before fading away with Poseidon.

Hades sighs heavily and pinches the bridge of his nose. Persephone walks over to him and rubs his tense shoulders.

"How was it when you fed him?" he asks suddenly.

She continues massaging and answers, "It was alright. He was ever so thankful."

Silence, and then Hades asks, "And Pirithous?"

She frowns at hearing that name, and replies through clenched teeth, "He was making all sorts of rude comments about me. He also kept on calling Theseus a weakling, and I had struck him in a fit of rage."

She could feel Hades stiffen under her touch. She stops, suddenly worried by the change in atmosphere.

"Hades?"

"Go to bed, Persephone. I have some business to take care of," he says to her in a hard voice.

She hesitates. "But…"

"_Go to bed, Persephone_."

She sighs and let go of his shoulders, but leans down to give him a kiss. He returns it with a quick soft, chaste one.

"Go to bed, my dear. I'll join you as soon as I can," he whispers.

She nods and finally exits the study, making her way to their bedchambers.

She washes her face and changes out of her green chiton and into a long, flowing purple nightgown in the bathroom. She could feel exhaustion creeping up on her, and she was glad that she was only a few distances away from the bed.

But just as she steps out of the bathroom, she could hear a loud scream of pain and anguish penetrating through the walls. She cringes, knowing very well whose scream it was and who was causing it.

But she simply ignores it and crawls under the maroon silk covers. When her head came in contact with one of the silk pillows, she quickly fell into a fruitful sleep.


	12. Filler

Hades' days would be filled with the usual; judging souls and spending time with his wife. But an additionally activity has been set; visiting Pirithous to give his daily beatings.

He made sure that his punches were as hard as the ones from the day before. He tried different tactics, such as forcing Pirithous to look into his eyes and see the horrors of Tartarus. The event always occurred in the evening, and there will always be the echoes of the demigod's screams of pain radiating throughout the palace.

If on occasions where Hades would be very tired, or have chosen to devote the night by spending it with Persephone, he had enlisted the help of the Erinyes, who are also known as the Furies, to execute the beatings for him. Persephone could hear his screams throughout the palace without fail, even if Hades was with her.

She continues to feed her cousin though. Every time after breakfast, lunch and dinner, Aretha would follow her to the dining room with a tray of food in her hands. Then, she would stand in waiting as the queen fed Theseus.

Theseus was getting stronger each day. He has stopped his weeping, though the pain in his heart remained. He had thought himself to give a deaf ear and blind eye to what was happening to his former best friend whenever the king appeared, and he was even brave enough to greet him every time he enters. But if it was the queen, his half-cousin, who walked through those doors, he would always give her a genuine smile for her kindness and generosity.

Unfortunately, or fortunately for Hades, Pirithous was a wreck. He was completely bloodied and bruised. His once-handsome face had turn disfigured, due to a broken nose, swollen eyes, bloodied lips and broken teeth. He was growing skinnier and frail, his muscles slowly disappearing, as he constantly refused the rotten food served to him.

Persephone had wanted to feel sorry for him, but his on-going rude and harsh comments about her and her husband made her instantly think otherwise.

Meanwhile, she had noticed that she can't help but remember the meeting between the Big Three that night. She had remembered how angry Poseidon looked, fighting against Hades for his son's freedom. She remembered the disappointment on his face when his demand for Theseus' release had been denied, and also the surprise when Hades made the deal.

She wondered to herself when will be the day when another son of Zeus, another of her half-brothers, would enter the Underworld and bring Theseus back to where he truly belongs. She hoped that it would be soon. He didn't deserve another minute in the Underworld.

* * *

Author's Note:

This is just a filler chapter about what had happened as the weeks go by. The story continues in the next chapter.

On a random note, Hades uses a special ability that he has on Pirithous just like in my first story _Never Again_. It's not called running out of ideas, it's called recycling them ;)

_Muse of Fanfiction_


	13. Chapter 11

_**One month later**_

"My lord, I bring urgent news," Thanatos says after he has bowed to his king and queen, who sat there magnificently on their thrones.

"And what would that be?" Hades inquires, immediately noticing the way how Thanatos' words sound alarming.

Thanatos braces himself for whatever his lord would be feeling once he had told him what he knew.

"Someone has entered the Underworld through the hidden entrance in Tanaerum. He is now in the palace as we speak."

"**WHAT!**" Hades roars as he shot up from his throne. Persephone was startled by her husband's sudden outburst, but remained on her throne, knowing very well that approaching him now could be disastrous.

"**That is absurd! No one has ever heard of that hidden entrance! How did he know of it in the first place? How did he get here? Who is he! And what is he here for!**"

Thanatos would have been fairly terrified of Hades right now. Miraculously, he remained calm and answered the questions his king demanded answers for.

"This man is none other than Heracles, demigod son of Zeus. He is here as he is sent on a task which will complete his well-known 'labours'. It is the gods of Olympus who have led the way for him."

Persephone gasped and Hades' eyes widened in disbelief. Another son of Zeus? Has the time finally come for Theseus to be free?

Persephone whispers to Hades, "Hades? Do you think…"

"I don't know, my queen," he answers without looking at her. "But we will just have to wait and find out."

Then he turns back to Thanatos and says, "I want you to locate this Heracles at once. Bring him to me here in the throne room immediately after you do."

Thanatos nods. "Of course, my lord."

Hades gives a firm nod then simply says, "Go."

The deity of death bows once more before he leaves the room to begin his mission.

Hades returns to sit on his ebony and gold throne and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Persephone reaches a hand for his and squeezed it tenderly. He looks up at her with loving eyes.

"I hope Theseus would finally be able to return to the world above," she says to him softly. He sighs and gently answers, "But remember what I had sworn to Poseidon. Only if this Heracles finds Theseus and is willing to bring him back, only then can he be free. But if Heracles were to refuse, Theseus has no choice but to remain here until there is a son of Zeus that is willing to take him back."

Persephone remains silent as her husband skimmed his thumb over her hand. Hades too was quiet. Both of them pondered on their own respective thoughts.

In her heart, Persephone says to herself, _Please, Heracles. Find Theseus and bring him back home._

* * *

Theseus and Pirithous were both asleep when they heard the door opening.

Like any other normal day, Pirithous braced himself for the pain the king would inflict on him while Theseus waited to see the queen to give her his warmest greetings.

But the person who walked through those doors would be the last person the both of them would expect.

The man was tall, taller than the both of them even, and had very big and bulky muscles. He had flowing auburn hair that reached his shoulders and hard green eyes. His limbs and face were marked with scars, signifying that this man must have been in involved in many brawls.

"Who are you?" Theseus asks in speculation.

The man eyes both of them in confusion, and answers, "I am Heracles, son of Zeus. I have come here to request a favour from the King of the Underworld."

After hearing his name, Pirithous suddenly exclaims, "I have heard of you! You are the strongest of all of mankind! You can help us!"

Heracles became even more confused and asked, "Who are the both of you, and why are you trapped to these chairs?"

Pirithous had wanted to answer, but Theseus cuts him off.

"I am Theseus, demigod son of Poseidon, and he is Pirithous, another son of Zeus. We have been damned to eternal punishment as we had travelled here to attempt to steal away Hades' queen, Persephone, who Pirithous wanted to make as his bride."

And then Pirithous loses it.

"**She tricked me! That witch! She seduced me and had me believe that she actually wanted to be my bride! It is she who led us to become like this!**"

Theseus, upset that Pirithous still dares to insult her, shouts back, "**It is not she who is in the wrong! It is you yourself! You already knew that attempting to make the wife of a god as your own is punishable beyond death! And what's more is that you had to choose the wife of the God of the Dead! I warned you, but you didn't listen!**"

Pirithous says nothing but glare at his former friend. Theseus continues to rant.

"**Like I have said time and time again, it is because of you that I have lost everything!**"

Pirithous finally fights back.

"**You are only defending that wretched woman because she feeds you with the food she eats! She pampers you like a mother would do to her new-born child while I remain here being beaten senselessly and being served food that is fit for an ass!**"

"**Maybe because you are one!**"

"**ENOUGH!**" Heracles shouts, exasperated by the quarrel between them.

Theseus and Pirithous both shut their mouths and looked at Heracles, who took a deep breath and shut his eyes in an attempt to cool down.

When Heracles finally opened his eyes, he looked at Theseus.

"Let me get the story straight. You are saying that he wanted Hades' own queen as his bride, yes?"

Theseus nods.

"Then why did you follow him if you yourself knew it was a bad idea?"

Theseus sighs as he remembers why.

"We had both swore on an oath that we each take a daughter of Zeus and make her as our own. We too swore that we must follow the other to collect the woman of his choosing. I have chosen the young Helen of Troy and he had followed me, so I am bound to do the same. But when he told me he wanted the goddess Persephone, I had tried to convince him that no good would come of this, but he refused to listen and I had to follow him nonetheless. For I do not turn my back on oaths that I swore."

Heracles purses his lips and nods, finally understanding.

"You are very honourable, Theseus. There are only a few people that are willing to stick to what they promised, no matter the circumstances and the consequences."

Theseus thanks him humbly. Heracles then looks at Pirithous, who only glared at Theseus.

"But you. You are absolutely in the wrong for trying to steal the wife of a god. And you were foolish enough to try and steal from the fearsome King Hades of the Underworld. You should have weighed out your pros and cons before deciding to make a rash decision. And now look at what has happened to you. I assumed that what your body suffers is by the hands of the god himself, am I right?"

Pirithous snarls at him, "**I do not need another self-righteous fool to point that out for me again!**"

Heracles looks at Pirithous nonchalantly before turning his attentions back to Theseus. He kneeled beside him and looked him in the eye.

"Listen to me, son of Poseidon. I am willing to help you. I will try to convince the lord and lady of the Underworld to free you. But if it is impossible, then I am truly sorry."

Theseus only nods in understanding.

Suddenly, the doors opened and all three pair of eyes looked over to whoever had just entered the room.

Pirithous and Theseus immediately recognised him to be the man that had escorted them from the gates of the Underworld to the palace when they had first arrived here. Theseus remembers his name to be Thanatos, the personification of death. He was still pale as how they last saw him, and still dressed in a pale grey chiton.

"You are Heracles, I presume?" he says.

Heracles rises from his kneeling position and nods his head, staring into the man's pale grey eyes.

"Follow me. Lord Hades is expecting you."

And with that, Thanatos then exits from the room. Heracles casts one last glance at Theseus before following after him, closing the door of the dining room in his wake.

* * *

Author's Note:

Introducing the great and mighty Heracles! He was part of the original myth of Theseus and Pirithous, so I only found it right to include him here.

Anyway, thanks so much for all the good reviews. I seriously, _seriously_, **SERIOUSLY**, enjoy reading them :)

Anyway, anyway. This story is coming to a close soon, so I only found it right to announce that I'll be releasing the prologue of my new story soon, probably tomorrow. This would be my first non-H/P fanfic and instead stars my favorite goddess, Artemis. So be on the lookout for that. And maybe drop a review or two? :)

Until the next chapter, ciao!

_Muse of Fanfiction_


	14. Chapter 12

Heracles calmly followed the pale being in front of him. He looked around the candle-lit hallways that he walked in, noticing how the candles casted eerie glows around him.

Suddenly, the man stops in front of two mahogany doors and pushes them open. He enters, and so does Heracles.

He looks around the room that it was now in. It was relatively big, with ash-grey marble floors and tall black walls. There was one single blood red carpet that leads to a platform which held two thrones. And on those two thrones, were the King and Queen of the Underworld.

He studied Hades, who looked at him with a stony gaze and a slight frown as he stayed seated on his black and gold throne. He looked every bit the God of the Dead as Heracles envisioned him to be; black hair, which was short and messy, black eyes that were as dark as a moonless midnight and were as hard as stone and alabaster skin that signified the minimum time he spent in the sun. Though the only thing that Heracles did not imagine him to have was a smooth face, instead of a flowing beard like his father's.

Then he directed his eyes to the woman that was seated on a similar throne beside Hades, though hers had bits of jewel decorated on it. She had wavy dark brown hair that flowed elegantly to her waist, amber eyes, though they could have been gold, and skin the colour of peaches. She wore a lavender chiton that contrasted greatly from her husband's black clothing and brought a bit of colour to the dark room.

Heracles knew her well-enough to be Persephone, the Goddess of Spring. She was very beautiful. She had a sweet innocent face that fitted perfectly with her slender figure. Heracles could now understand why that Pirithous had wanted her in the first place.

The pale man in front of him then bowed before them and said loudly, "My lord, I have sought out Heracles as you wished."

Heracles watches as Hades jerked a firm nods and then say, "You are dismissed, Thanatos."

The pale man, Thanatos, then straightens up, turns around and exits the room, leaving Heracles with the god and goddess.

Hades suddenly stands up from his throne, his eyes never leaving Heracles. Heracles could now see that he was tall and had a lean and muscular figure. Although Heracles' figure was deemed far superior than his, he knew better that he could never outmatch the strength of a god.

Hades suddenly speaks.

"What business that you have which required you to journey to my Underworld?"

Heracles bows and states his case.

"Great lord of the Underworld, I have come here to ask you for a favour, which will then complete the twelve labours that have been assigned to me by my cousin, King Eurystheus of Tiryns."

Hades crosses his arms and raises an eyebrow.

"And what would this favour be?" he asked.

Heracles straightens up and clears his throat, before saying, "I wish to bring your hellhound, Cerberus, to the land above, with the promise that I will return him to you safely."

Hades rubs his chin as he thinks about it thoroughly.

"That is a big favour to ask, Heracles. Furthermore, I have been the only one to be able to tame Cerberus," he states.

Daringly, Heracles takes a few steps forward, begging, "Please, great lord. I only wish to complete my labours as a way of seeking repentance for a mistake I have committed long time ago…. I beg of you to allow me this."

It was then Persephone spoke up.

"Hades, I beg you to reconsider," she tells him gently, her eyes looking at Heracles sympathetically.

Hades looks at his wife, who looks at him back with pleading eyes. He sighs and begins to contemplate his decision.

Finally, he speaks.

"I have agreed to give you this favour, Heracles. But, there is something you must do to attain it."

Heracles, feeling his hopes soar, asks, "What would that be? I am more than willing to accomplish it."

Hades walks down a few steps before coming to a stop halfway. Without looking away from him, he answers, "You must tame Cerberus without the use of weapons and without getting him hurt. If I even hear a single yelp of pain coming from the mouth of my hellhound, then you can very well leave my world empty-handed and never return here."

Heracles eyes widen in shock. He thinks hard to himself; would he be able to accomplish it? He has been up against other fearsome creatures before, such as the Nemean Lion and the Cretan Bull, but without the use of weapons made it seem too difficult.

Difficult, but not impossible.

"I accept this challenge, Lord Hades," he proclaims.

Hades nods, seemingly pleased.

Just then, Heracles suddenly remembers Theseus.

"My lord? There is one more favour that I wish to ask."

Hades looks at him sceptically and asks, "And would that be this time?"

Heracles takes a deep breath, and answers, "I have entered a room which held two prisoners by the names of Theseus and Pirithous. I have heard their stories, and I now know the reason of their imprisonment. I only ask that I bring only the son of Poseidon back with me to the land above after I have completed my twelfth labour."

Hades' eyes widen and he turns to look at Persephone, whose eyes were as wide as his.

"Remember your oath to your brother Poseidon, Hades. Do not forget it," she reminds him.

With those words, he turns back to look at Heracles, who stands there waiting for an answer.

"Very well. You may only bring back Theseus, only if you complete the task I have given you."

Without further questions, Heracles nods.

* * *

Author's Note:

In the original Greek myth, Heracles was driven mad by Hera and killed his own children and his wife. When he had finally regained sanity, he regretted his actions and sought a way to repent for them. As a result, he was assigned the famous twelve labours.

The twelfth labour required him to capture Cerberus and bring him to the land above. So he traveled to the Underworld to ask Hades for permission. In the Underworld, it was there he met Theseus and Pirithous, and only brought Theseus back with him.

Anyway, this story is turning out to be longer than I expected. Looks like my new story has to be put on hold for a while. Anyway, I would really love it if I can get more reviews :) Pretty please? I love to read comments!

_Muse of Fanfiction_


	15. Chapter 13

Hey guys!

I just want to announce that I have published the first few chapters of my new story, _Who I Am: A Tale of Artemis_.

I hope you guys can check it out and maybe even drop a review? I really need to know how the story is so far.

But be warned, this story certainly has a lot of angst in it, but it is something I like to work on.

_Muse of Fanfiction_

* * *

Persephone followed Hades and Heracles to the outside of the palace. They rode Charon's boat to get to the other side of Styx. Charon was once again displeased for having to carry another passenger for free. But he did not complain as he was in his lord's presence.

When they had finally reached the opposite banks, Hades helps Persephone off the boat. She thanks him before turning to the ferryman and thanking him. Charon gives his queen a genuine smile in return.

"Wait here, Charon. I think we will be done in a short while," Persephone instructs Charon, who simply nods. As she walked away with Hades and Heracles, Hades leans in and whispers into her ear, "What makes you think this will be over quickly?"

She looks at him sceptically and simply says, "I have faith in Heracles."

Hades says nothing and just keeps walking on.

They climbed the stony steps that will lead them to the gates of the Underworld. It is there where Heracles will face his opponent.

Hades flicks his wrist and a bright ball of light appeared over their heads, illuminating the area around them. Then, with a snap of his fingers, a throne made of stone appeared from the ground at the side of the cave. He gestured for Persephone to sit there, and she does. He moves to stand beside her and leans against the side of the chair.

"Are you ready, Heracles?" he calls out.

Heracles gulps, but he nods.

Hades then gives one firm nod before he exclaims, "Cerberus. Exit from your cave."

Heracles looks to his side and truth be told, there was a huge cave there. Just then, a huge shadow appears from the cave, coming towards him.

Thanks to the ball of light above him, Heracles could see Cerberus clearly.

His pelt was as dark as Hades' black eyes. So fathomless and bottomless. He was twice the size as the Nemean Lion, maybe even bigger. Like the stories told to him, Cerberus did in fact have three heads, all of which are snarling at him as their golden eyes glared at him.

"Remember, Heracles. If you are able to defeat him without the use of weapons and without hurting him, you are allowed to bring him to the world above and complete your labours. And also, bring back Theseus," Hades reminds him, standing beside Persephone with his arms crossed and his eyes focused on him.

Heracles gives a quick nod to the king before he turns to looks at Cerberus. Thank the gods above he did.

For Cerberus was already charging towards him.

Acting quickly, Heracles throws himself to the side, out of Cerberus' way. The beast skidded to a halt and it turns to growl at Heracles again.

Both Cerberus and Heracles charged at each other, and then when their bodies collided, they both fell to the floor and engaged in wrestling.

Persephone gripped the skirt of her chiton lightly. Never before has she seen a fight, not counting the time when she first saw Hades take out his anger on Pirithous. It was too intense. She wanted to look away, but found that she couldn't.

Heracles is pinned down to the ground by Cerberus, who had one paw on his throat. With all of his might, he pushes the hand away and kicks Cerberus off him. The hellhound recovers quickly and snarled at Heracles once again.

_Focus, Heracles! You can do this!_ Heracles says to himself.

Heracles charges towards Cerberus again. The beast too runs towards him, but just as they were a few feet from each other, it jumped.

Heracles looks above him and saw that Cerberus was about to land upon him. Just in the nick of time, Heracles moves out of the way, and Cerberus lands upon the rock with extreme force that the rock beneath him split opened.

The cracks moved fast, going in all directions. With one crack heading towards Persephone's throne.

In a split second, Hades pulls her off the throne, just in time for the stone to crack into tiny pieces.

"That was shocking…" she mumbled, still feeling a bit jumpy.

Hades slowly releases her and made sure that she was alright before diverting his attentions back to the fight.

He was glad he did.

He had just managed to watch Heracles leap onto Cerberus' back, grasping tightly on its pelt.

Cerberus, realizing that his opponent was on him, starts shaking violently in an attempt to get him off. But Heracles' grip on him was strong. He did not feel affected by the canine's futile attempt to get him off.

Just then, Heracles grasps all three heads with both arms. Cerberus started reacting even violently. He tried to bite off Heracles' arms, but only managed to tear part of his skin. Heracles screamed in agony, but he does not loosen his grip around the throats of the hellhound.

Hades watches intently, unsure of what Heracles was doing. If he had known better, Hades would say that he was trying to kill him.

Heracles grip stays as tight as it could. Slowly, Cerberus' movements become rigid and then slow as he starts to relax. Finally, as Heracles had hoped, it closes its eyes and sinks to the floor.

Hades could not stop himself.

"**DID YOU KILL HIM?**" he demands to know as he made his way towards the hellhound. Pushing Heracles aside, he began to feel the pulse points of Cerberus' three heads. Thankfully, he could detect all of it.

"I did not, my lord. I have simply put him in a concussion," Heracles tells him as he took big gulps of air.

Hades does not lift his gaze from the hellhound as he murmurs, "You did it…"

Heracles couldn't help but smile. Finally he has done what was considered to be the most impossible of his labours. It was done. It was over.

"There was not a single yelp from him. I'm very certain about that…" Hades mumbles to himself. Then he runs his hand on Cerberus, checking for any wounds.

Nothing.

Hades could not believe it.

He clears his throat and turns around to look at Heracles. They both looked at each other, and Hades says, "I am nothing if not a man of my word. You have succeeded Heracles. You have my permission to take Cerberus to the world above, only with the promise that he returns home safely."

Heracles straightens and bows, saying, "Thank you, great lord of the Underworld."

Hades continues.

"And of course, you may bring back the demigod Theseus to the world above."

Heracles gives him one more smile, but Hades takes no notice on it, instead look behind the demigod at his wife, who had a big and happy smile on her face.


	16. Chapter 14

The three of them were on Charon's boat, returning back to the palace so that Heracles can collect Theseus.

Hades just stands at the front of the boat, looking ahead, with Persephone by his side. Heracles sits behind them, watching them with wary eyes.

"You have accomplished a great feat, Heracles," Hades says solemnly without looking at him.

"Thank you, Lord Hades," Heracles replies. And then, Hades says no more.

Finally, Charon docks the boat and they both step onto the grounds of the palace. They made their way inside, Hades leading the way to the dining room at the west.

All of them were silent. Persephone had an arm around her husband's, who looked angry, probably because Heracles had managed to do what seems to be the impossible.

Finally, they reached the doors of the dining room. Hades threw open the doors with one hand.

Pirithous and Theseus looked up, startled. They saw the king enter with the queen, Heracles following closely behind them.

Hades stands with Persephone by the side, and says to Heracles, "Take him with Cerberus, and you may leave the Underworld."

Heracles nods. Then Hades points a finger at Theseus, muttering, "You are now released from your bonds."

Just at his words, the rocks that held Theseus' arms and legs trapped to the chair slowly sank back onto the floor. Theseus groans in pain as the rock that infiltrated his flesh disappeared. When the rocks had all disappeared into the floor, Theseus stays still and looks at himself.

The flesh of his arms and legs were as pale as a ghost. They felt numb, and he realized that as much as he tried, he could not move them. He was afraid.

"What has happened to me?" Theseus whispers in agony.

"It will remain like that for the first few hours. It will soon return to normal, but as of now, you will be unable to walk," Hades tells him.

Heracles takes the initiative and goes over to Theseus. He takes one of Theseus' arms and drapes it over his shoulders. He lifts him up to a standing position, though he still sagged.

"Wait…" a small voice mutters, the words full of fear.

All of them looked at Pirithous, who stares at Theseus with wide eyes.

"Please… Take me with you… I cannot take it if I do not have company… I beg of you, great Heracles… take me as well…"

Hades silently stares at the demigod with a hateful gaze. Persephone looks down at her husband's hands and sees them continuously clenching and unclenching.

Heracles and Theseus remains silent, looking back at Pirithous.

"Please, Theseus…. I'm sorry for not heeding your advice…. Please beg for my release…. Let me make amends to you…" Pirithous begs with tears now flowing rapidly rom his blackened eyes.

Theseus stares at him, clenching his jaws.

At that moment, Heracles felt pity for him. To be trapped for eternity in the Underworld is indeed a punishment if one is not sent to the happy Elysian Fields or at least the indifferent Asphodel Plains. Slowly, he reaches a hand out for one of Pirithous' trapped arms,

And just suddenly, the ground trembled beneath them.

* * *

_On the banks of Styx…_

Charon had just brought newly-departed souls to the palace grounds and was about to return to the other side when suddenly the grounds started shaking violently.

He could have fallen into the waters of Styx had he not gripped the edge of his boat for balance.

As he felt the tremors vibrating through his aged body, he thought to himself, _What in Styx is going on?_

* * *

_In the foyer of the palace…_

Thanatos was walking up the stairs to Hades' study with a bundle of scrolls in his hands when the tremors began.

He lost his balance immediately due to the violent quake. He fell down a few steps, the scrolls dropped from his hands and rolling down the stairs. But luckily, he was not hurt.

He was confused at first. Yes, there has been an occasional earthquake in the Underworld by Poseidon, who was also the God of Earthquakes, time by time. But this was no ordinary earthquake. It seems as though it comes from within the Underworld itself.

_What has incurred the wrath of Hades so immensely? _he thinks to himself.

* * *

_In the three realms of the Underworld - the Elysian Fields, the Asphodel Plains and the horrid Tartarus - the earthquake could be felt immediately. Everyone stopped whatever they were doing. Some cried out in fear, others frozen with shock. _

_Never before have they experienced an earthquake so terrifying._

* * *

_Back in the dining room…_

Both Heracles and Theseus fell to the floor after having their balance knocked out of them.

Persephone gripped onto her husband, confusion washing over her. She did not know what was going on. They have released Theseus, so why was Poseidon doing this?

And that's when she realized how stiff Hades was. She looks at him and sees him standing as still as a statue, glaring at Heracles.

"**DO NOT EVEN DARE TO TRY AND RELEASE HIM! HE HAS COMMITTED A GREAT CRIME AND SHALL THEREFORE BE SUBMISSIVE TO TORTURE BY MY HANDS!**" Hades hotly shouted, pointing a shaking finger at Heracles.

Heracles, frightened by the on-going earthquake that seemed to be capable of bringing the palace down, nods, apologizing for incurring Hades' wrath.

"Forgive me, my lord! I know now that I was foolish! Please stop this! " Heracles pleaded.

Hades did not move until Persephone grips his face in her hands.

"Please, husband, stop this! Heracles has committed a simple mistake! Please allow him and Theseus to return now!" she pleads him desperately.

Hades stares at his wife's begging eyes. He knows he cannot refuse her, but what she asks is something that one does not make an easy decision out of.

But just then, the earthquake slowly dies down until finally, it stops.

Persephone looks at Hades and sees that he has his eyes tightly shut and he was breathing deeply. She leans in so that her lips were next to his ear and whispers, "Thank you…"

Hades' eyes flew open and they were looking at Heracles.

"Leave now, before I change my mind. And swear that you will bring back Cerberus to his home safely," he says solemnly.

Heracles nods and stands as he picks up Theseus as well.

Pirithous began to lose it.

"**THESEUS! PLEASE! I BEG OF YOU!**" he cried.

Hades shouts, "**TOO LATE! NOTHING CAN SAVE YOU NOW! YOU MUST PAY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE TRIED TO COMMIT!**"

Heracles walks out of the room immediately, dragging Theseus along. Theseus casts one last small glance at him, whispering, "Farewell, my friend…"

Pirithous cries with immense grief. Hades glares at him while his wife only looks. And then, without another word, he takes Persephone with him, exiting the room, and leaving Pirithous, for the first time, alone.

* * *

Heracles dragged Theseus out of the palace. They see the ferryman about to row off, and Heracles cries, "Wait!"

Charon stops and looks at them. He waits for them patiently, watching them approach him.

Just then, a shrill voice called out for them.

"Wait! Wait!"

Heracles and Theseus turns to see Persephone running after them. They stop and wait for her.

"To get to the other side of Styx, you must now pay Charon. Put two gold obols in your mouths, for you are wishing to return to the world above alive. Let him take it straight from your mouths. Only then can you ride safely."

With a flick of her wrist, four gold obols appeared in the palm of her hand. She instructs Heracles to open his mouth, and he does. She proceeds to put two gold obols on his tongue. Heracles closes his lips and Persephone turns to Theseus.

"Thank you, your grace. I apologize on behalf of Pirithous and myself, for what we have done..." he murmurs.

Persephone only smiles.

He then opens his mouth for her, like how he does when she feeds him. She places the remaining two obols on his tongue, and then places her hand on his shoulder.

"I am glad that you can return home, Theseus. I too apologize on behalf of my husband for what has happened," she says to him, the smile still there.

Unable to talk because his mouth was full, he only smiles.

She lets them go and watches as they go up to Charon. They open their mouths for him and he takes the obols, and then they both climbed on board his boat.

As Charon rows away from the banks, Theseus looks at Persephone again. This time, Hades was with her, standing still by her side and looking at them as she waved goodbye.

And then Theseus looks at the palace again, his emotions spiralling downwards. With a heavy sigh, he whispers, "I'm sorry, Pirithous…"

* * *

In the dining room, Pirithous stares blankly at the now empty chair that had been occupied by Theseus, his mouth gapping open with saliva dripping down. His breathing was shallow, and he thought that finally, he will die.

But no. He will never die. He will still be breathing and facing the wrath of Hades.

For an eternity….

* * *

Author's Note:

And that's a wrap for _The Wrath of Hades_!

Sorry guys for not updating for three days! I've been busy with examinations :P

I would like to thank everyone who reviewed and gave the story good comments. Especially _**madame** **thome**_. Thank you, thank you! :)

Anyway, I hope you all can read my new story, _Who I Am: A Tale of Artemis_. There will be a new Hades and Persephone fanfic, with the first chapter coming out tomorrow. I hope you all will enjoy it as much as I do! :)

Sincerely,

_Muse of Fanfiction_


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